


Sucks to be Newt

by ByersStylesandShea



Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Artist Newt, Barely-getting-by newt, Bully Thomas, Bullying, F/M, High School, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Newt has his limp, Sad Newt, Shy Newt, all are seniors, bullied newt, group project, popular Thomas, rich thomas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-11-12 10:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11160318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ByersStylesandShea/pseuds/ByersStylesandShea
Summary: Newton Isaacs, or Newt, has been bullied by his peers ever since he and his mother moved to the States back in his Freshman year of High School. Be it for his accent, sickly pale skin, slender frame or the fact that he never fought back. Primarily a group of six, however when Thomas Murphy -a member of said six- and Newt are both paired together for an English project. Chaos can only ensure...right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who became re-obsessed with The Maze Runner this week?

He sat back, his sleeves hiding his hands as he looked out of the window. The school bus was quiet, not many kids from his neighbourhood bothering to get it seeing as they probably had suburban moms, each with tacky sunglasses stuffed into their dyed hair. A named purse clutched under one arm, all to match with their cars. As they happily drove their ungrateful brood to school. Their teenagers sat beside them, oblivious to anything that wasn't on their phone.

Not Newt.

He never used his phone for anything other than asking his mother if she wanted any dinner saving, or what time she would be back from the hospital. Seeing as her shifts were never correct and she had to often do some overtime. Newt didn't mind though, his mother was helping people. If that meant eating store-bought Mac-N-Cheese from the store, or making himself some toast whilst watching re-runs of old 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' episodes. Then so be it.

His stomach gave an all too familiar lurch as he saw the school's welcome sign in view. "Gladstone High: Home of the Gladiators" looked back at him in blue ink. His breathing already becoming too heavy for such an early time, yet he soldiered on. He glanced at his watch and followed the second hand, a trick his mum taught him, counting in order to ground himself. It was all going to be okay. He just needed to chill, make his way through the last few months of school and graduate so that he could study art at college and get a job in the same industry.

That's always been the plan.

Upon getting off the bus, he already spotted the group he was hoping to avoid like the plague. A group of six, three girls, three boys. A sadistic version of the 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' group, who enjoyed making his life as miserable as possible.

Consisting of Gally, the twat who finds joy in grabbing Newt by the shoulders, bruising his back on lockers. Calling him every derogatory term that he could think of, whilst intimidating Newt by his sheer size alone. He was the most brutal, physical.

Brenda, the mean bitch who looks at him like he's filth. Also has an extensive vocabulary when it came to insulting Newt, however, she must use all of her brain cells up on the insults, as she is one of the dumbest girls that Newt has ever encountered.

Then there was Harriet, she like Brenda, is pretty and finds joy in insulting Newt. The only problem is that she was, unlike Brenda, incredibly intelligent. In fact, her only gripe with Newt would be that she is always just behind him in academic scores (not that he could help it. He was just naturally smart. Like Sheldon Cooper, but not a total ass). In which case she recruits Gally to break into Newt's locker so that they can have a field day with his papers and textbooks. Dropping them into puddles or burning them on the bleachers for when it gets extra cold in the winter months. Possessions that he was lucky to get in the first place, due to his mother being so strapped for cash.

Minho, another built, all-star athlete who simply likes to punch and kick Newt. Despite the fact that he is built like a brick house, whilst Newt resembles a garden weed in physical structure. So the fights that they engage in, and by that Newt means begrudgingly accepting the fact that he's getting pummelled, soon end with Newt gasping on the floor and Minho walking away. One time he actually broke Newt's rib. Not that he'd ever tell him and give him such satisfaction.

The all too intimidating Teresa, the more passive aggressive one. She'd steal away chairs from him before he sat down. Place hot pliers on his pale skin after running them a few times though a bunsen burner flame, not long enough to burn. Only to shock before bursting into laughter at Newt's reaction, or her favourite graffitiing or spilling water on his classwork so that he had to restart. Her shoulder length hair that changed colour every week, much to the dismay of the teachers around her, and bold makeup.

Then, there was Thomas. Who sometimes took part in the bullying, other times he simply watched. Brenda's boyfriend, captain of the football team and an All-star athlete. He was intelligent, but not on the same level as Newt or Harriet but a B-average. He was the one who warned his friends of the upcoming teachers. Not like they did anything anyway. And generally stood there like a witness, scratch that. Bystander. The kind who don't do shit to help.

All six were sat on the wall outside the school's entrance, meaning that he had a chance of sneaking past if he is absorbed by the crowd. However, all six seemed to be fitted with some sort of GPS in their mind. They always know where Newt is hiding. And once they know, they come looking. Like cat and mouse.

Clutching his Biology textbook in his left hand, due to his bag being too full to fit any more supplies in, so hard that his knuckles turned white, he sped past the group. Hurrying towards his locker and hoping that he could make it to study hall before he was attacked yet again. Not likely, seeing as Gally, Brenda and Thomas all were in his study hall. But he could manage to get a distanced seat before the trio made them known. The little perks.

He dialled in his code before opening the locker. Only to have it slammed shut on his arm. He made no noise, only a sharp intake of breath. Looking up at the sick smirk that Gally was wearing on his wide face. The same he always wore as he hurt Newt in more sick and vindictive ways. He glanced at the surrounding group of six and his heart sunk. So much for his little perks.

"Morning Newton" Gally grinned, eyes alight from the torment. "Ready for gym class?" That statement made Newt's eyes widen in panic. Not because he had forgotten his gym kit. That was hanging in his locker in changing room two, from his gym lesson earlier the week on Monday. Today, unlike Newt had thought, wasn't Friday. A day where he had study hall, Biology and then a free period that he spent in the back of the library, reading 'The Great Gatsby' or any other literary classic that he had yet to read. All to understand the buzz behind it all.

Instead, it was Thursday, a day that Newt detested as he had his Study Hall with Mr Ragnathan, an Indian man who's wife recently gave birth to twins. Meaning that he was up half the night with the little ones, hence him not giving a fuck what his senior study hall did as it was early morning and they were to use this time to their advantage. The advantage to Gally, Brenda and Thomas is that they get to hurt Newt and say nasty things to him for an entire hour before he would be ridiculed by the Gym teacher Mr Brookes, an ageing football fanatic. Along with more of Thomas, Gally and Minho's cronies. Whilst running through muddy grass to the sound of a piercing whistle that scared Newt every time it sounded.

Then came the bell, and like that. Thomas and Gally grabbed Newt's upper arms. Enclosing them in their large hands before dragging the poor boy to Study Hall in room 16. Brenda in tow.

Just Fucking Brilliant.


	2. Gym and invitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreaded Gym class and an invitation.

He sat alone in study hall, his books still in his bag. In order to prevent them being destroyed any further by the three who sat around him. Tormenting him in different ways. Gally was hitting Newt, not in the similar vicious ways that he usually enjoyed doing. Just elbowing him in the ribs, kicking his shins, elbow barging him. The more tame side of Gally, less harmful more obnoxious.

Brenda drew over his arm in biro, commenting on how pale and veiny his arms were. Asking "Do you have any muscle at all? Or do you enjoy looking like a stick insect?" whilst writing even more purple inked insults into Newt's flesh in her neat handwriting. He had no energy to resist. That and he felt that if he did, she would simply click her fingers and Thomas and Gally would pound on him. Before the teacher who sat at the front of the room with his eyes closed, leaning back in his office chair, could react.

The entire class always either ignored what the group would do to Newt relentlessly, or they would partake in the laughing and jeering. Spurring Gally to throw one more punch, or Brenda one more insult before they decided to call it quits. He was unsure which was worst.

After the bell, he sped away from Gally and Thomas. To the locker rooms where he changed in silence. Before rinsing his arms, cleaning away Brenda's penmanship before anyone else could see it. Leaving a purple hue on his forearms that simply blended along with the other bruises and injuries that he acquired that week. Hence his long sleeved undershirt that would be placed under his grey gym one, to hide the marks of pain that had been inflicted upon his skin. Surprisingly, none of which being self-inflicted.

He never showed his arms or back to anyone. Or even any other part of his skin. He only lived with his mother, so there was no annoying little siblings to run into his room whilst he's changing. Meaning that even in the hotter summer months, he stood there with two layers, whilst the other boys had swapped their required grey t-shirts for tank tops. Mostly due to concealing his bruises, mostly for hiding his gangly pale limbs as much as he can. 

Today was Football, and, despite the fact that half of the class wasn't part of the school's team. All students were obligated to take part. Splitting off into teams assigned by Coach Brookes, ready to pummel the weak into the grass whilst the jocks ran rampant. Much like how the day leading up to now wasn't going Newt's way, he was put against not only Thomas and Gally, but Minho. Who had this class with them, and Winston. Another boy who was taller, stronger and tanner than Newt. Another boy who intimidated Newt and helped consolidate gym class as his least favourite lesson. 

Not only was he placed on the team that clearly was at a disadvantage, due to none of his fellow teammates being a Jock, he was also placed in defence. Not that he understood any rules or terminology that came along with the game. He just stood there and hoped to any God that he wouldn't be passed the ball. 

And he wasn't. Passed the ball that is. He was, however, beaten by many different members of the Football team. Passing of each hit as a tackle, yet he would always end up winded on the floor. A new part of his body aching with every blow. And he still continued, knowing full well that even if he did tell Coach Brookes, that would only lead to grief for him anyway.

The heat was bearing down on him and he was starting to sweat beneath his shirts. He longed to be back in London when school P.E lessons consisted of cross-country in the cold. It would've been muddy, but he would be pleasantly warm as opposed to being too sweaty and warm to continue the lesson. 

"Step it up, Isaacs!" Brookes barked, as Newt was pummeled to the floor yet again by another body. The only problem this time being, he couldn't physically command himself to sit up and move around again. Instead, his lungs were void of air as his front hit the grass at full speed. He rolled onto his back and gasped heavily, causing his ribs to hurt severely. Making him also wince and gasp in pain.

"For God's sake, get up Isaacs!" Coach sighed, clasping his clipboard in one hand and the football in the other. Halting the game until Newt decided to haul his lazy ass off the grass. 

"I-I can't..." He gasped every word causing him pain in his side. He gripped his ribs and bit his lip to stop himself from screaming out in agony. This felt awful. He had managed with bruises and bumps before, but this felt different. 

Something thankfully clocked in Brookes' mind, as his scowl fell and he looked anxious. "Johnson, go and fetch the school nurse. Asap" he ordered the young boy, as he knelt down next to Newt. Scared of losing his job if he didn't help the skinny boy.

Adam Johnson began sprinting across the field to the main building where classes were still taking place. Thomas Elison, the perpetrator of the attack stood sheepishly. Not used to being physical with Newt, Gally and Minho bookending him as coach berated him for misconduct on the field. Only doing so, due to Newt being finally so physically injured that he couldn't bounce back.

Breathing was hard, Newt found himself coughing wet coughs that only caused his pain to increase. The boys surrounding him all looked pretty sheepish. They had all given the poor boy enough physical grief over the last thirty minutes and he finally had had enough. 

Nurse Carter, a short, blonde lady in her mid-thirties, hurried out behind Adam. Her face showed anger, which was understandable -as Newt was no stranger to the nurses' office, going there after the 'after school beat-ups', that Gally frequently treated him to. Nurse Carter was always the one trusted with fixing him back up again. She admired Newt, even though the boy was practically tortured by these kids -whose doting parents defended their cynical children's actions as 'Playful banter' on more than one occasion- he still got the grades that would have colleges fighting each other to get him in their school. Like a prestigious school version of the Hunger Games.

So it was refreshing to see that this bullying -Because nurse Carter knows what this is, and calls a spade a spade- hasn't affected the poor boy's grades.

"Newt, Honey can you hear me?" she asked, the boy in question had his eyes closed but was in too much pain to drift off to the land of sleep. So he nodded, only slightly. "Okay, I'm gonna check you over, stay still for me?" 

She lightly checked his ribs first, as that was the area that Newt clutched. Along with his haggard breathing, which again was a clear sign. Before coming to the conclusion, "Two fractured ribs on the left-hand side" This earned Thomas a glare from Coach. She then checked his eyes "Concussion" and then lifted Newt's shirt "Bruising, although I am not certain on which one of these are from today. The poor boy seems to have quite the collection" This was now Nurse Carter's turn to glare at Thomas who looked somewhat guilty. Gally just looked miffed, and Minho, he was looking anywhere else. 

\---

Newt was brought to the Hospital by Nurse Carter, where they properly patched him up before handing him some painkillers and an absence form that excused him from any P.E for the next month whilst his fractured ribs recovered. Thomas was punished with the same times worth of detentions. Yet Newt knew that this wouldn't be the last time that he would be bodily harmed before Graduation.

After the hospital visit, he was driven home. He was alone in the house, as his mother was still at work and made himself dinner before sitting in front of the T.V and rewatching old episodes of 'Red Dwarf' til he fell asleep on the sofa. Too tired to do any homework. Not that he was behind anyway. Before his mum came home and gently nudged him upstairs, where he collapsed on his bed, calm and relaxed due to the painkillers. 

\---

The following morning, he woke up with an awful headache. His eyes were pried open by the buzzing of his alarm clock and he reluctantly sat up and threw is legs over the side of the bed. His ribs were still incredibly sore and tender, yet now they were wrapped in a tight bandage that somewhat lessened the strain. So, he changed into a long-sleeved shirt and hoodie, paired with some jeans and converse. His mother had yet again hurried off to work, so he fixed himself a cup of tea and grabbed a cereal bar. Too tired to do anything else, yet -seeing as he missed lunch yesterday due to the hospital visit where his mother saw him and he was left to explain. And his meal last night was unfinished due to his premature nap during 'Red Dwarf'. So he needed to have something to stop his stomach from grumbling during English.

Newt made his way to school soon after and managed to make his way to his locker without getting into an altercation with anyone of the six, yet he didn't allow himself to relax. Being hospitalised by one of them wasn't exactly means for falling into a false sense of security. 

Unfortunately, he was topic of many conversations, as this school seemed to run dry when it came to new gossip. So Newt being driven to the hospital after Thomas nearly broke his ribs was a hot new subject. And he felt uncomfortable for the entire day. Pulling out his English notebook, he closed his locker and began walking to his first lesson. That was when he first saw them. Minho and Gally looked intimidating, Harriet and Teresa looking as though they had swallowed a lemon. Whereas Brenda seemed to be comforting Thomas. Pretty much in the only way she knew how to, by draping her arms around him and whispering in his ear. Newt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yo, Isaacs" Minho called, gesturing with his hand that he wanted Newt to join their group for some sort of discussion, making his anxiety spike at the thought. He hated talking to these bastards, and usually gave them the silent treatment 'til they finished whatever verbal or physical assault they attacked him with. Reluctantly, he dragged his feet over to the group. "How are you today Newt?" Brenda asked. Her shrill voice doing nothing to aid Newt's headache, her arms still draped around Thomas' neck. The boy looking at him, as though he was waiting for Newt to insult Brenda. Not that Newt would ever be that stupid. "I'm okay" He croaked, his voice so quiet that if he wasn't forced to stand so close, the group wouldn't have heard him. "Ribs still sore?" Gally asked, sounding more teasing than actually caring. He nodded, not trusting his voice around Gally.

"That's too bad" Brenda mocked, Gally grabbed Newt by his hair and furiously yanked his head back, causing him to hit it on the lockers behind him. "Cause we have the perfect little surprise lined up for you, little Newton. And you simply cannot be injured for it." 

He wanted to cringe at the sound of his full first name, it reminded him of his Grandma Peggy back in England. A woman who, like the group of bullies that he frequently encountered, took joy in degrading and tormenting Newt to no end. So, it sort of fit that they both referred to him by his full name. Newt, being reserved for those who he loved and who loved him. 

"Oh yes," Harriet continued for her "It's Brenda's birthday on Saturday, party at Thomas' house. And you're invited, freak. The boys will pick you up so that you have no choice or say in the matter" Her grin that complimented the end of her sentence was horrifically sweet. 

"See you then" Gally concluded, before the group dispersed to go to their next Lesson. Chemistry, a lesson in which he had been paired with Teresa twice this year. And twice she had tried to cause him physical harm. One time by spilling an unknown acid (The lesson was about tests that you would conduct in order to discover what substance is) that turned out to be scarring if not cleaned immediately, into Newt's protective glove. Causing him to spend the rest of his lesson rinsing his hand in water before visiting the school nurse. That sucked. Then, after their teacher- Miss Kellie- had gone on maternity leave, and they faced a new sub, he was stupidly paired with her again. Despite the neon post-it reading 'DO NOT PUT NEWTON ISAACS AND TERESA JONES TOGETHER!' that was stuck in the Sub, Mr Baker's file. Resulting in Teresa successfully setting Newt's shirt sleeve on fire with a bunsen burner. 

Since then, he was made to make a list of people who he could work with fine. Leaving basically one name in his class of snobs, thugs and pyromaniacs. Phillipa Walker, or Pippa. She was incredibly intelligent, helping Newt in the many different areas that he lacked in Science.

She became the only thing close to a friend that Newt had. Inviting him to the library at lunch so that they could help each other with whatever they may be struggling with. Academia wise

He wanted to spend every lesson with Phillipa, he felt safe around her.

But she wasn't invited to this party on the weekend. Leaving Newt alone. Like always.


End file.
